What we know about the shooting at the Capital Gazette
What happened yesterday at the Capital Gazette was a
tragedy. It has rocked us to our core, and our hearts go out
to the family, friends, and colleagues of those taken by
this senseless act of violence against an American newsroom.
You can view our official statement in our
press release.
As of this morning, the shooter has been taken into custody. In the upcoming days, we will learn more about his motives and the catalyst for his actions. We know the shooter filed a failed defamation suit against the newspaper in 2012, and that he has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder, but we will not be saying the shooter's name here.
Instead, we will focus on those we've lost:
Gerald Fischman. Rob Hiaasen. John McNamara. Rebecca Smith. Wendi Winters.
These reporters and employees encapsulated the mission of the Capital Gazette's newsroom and those like it around the country: to offer their readers information and informed opinion about the world so they may be better citizens. We thank them for their work, and know we must continue to carry the mantle for freedom of information in their stead.
To support the Gazette and their families during this time, please donate to their GoFundMe. We also encourage everyone to support local reporting by subscribing to the Gazette or your local paper.
We'll have more information available throughout the day which you'll be able to find on our Twitter and Facebook pages. For now, we will leave you with a message of resilience that the Capital Gazette posted in the wake of this attack on their newsroom: